OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Former President Donald Trump has responded after a tense Friday night session in the House saw California Republican Kevin McCarthy finally capture the Speakership following a historic 15 ballots.
In particular, Trump thanked McCarthy after the Californian praised the 45th president for helping him secure enough votes to win following several phone calls to recalcitrate conservative holdouts who denied McCarthy a victory since the 118th Congress began its first session on Tuesday.
“I do want to especially thank President Trump,” McCarthy told reporters on Saturday morning after a tumultuous night. “I don’t think anyone should doubt his influence. He was with me from the beginning. … He would call me and he would call me and he really was, I was just talking tonight, helping to get those final votes.”
The former president responded on his TruthSocial account simply with, “Thank you Kevin. It was my great honor!”
WATCH: Newly-elected Speaker McCarthy thanks President Trump for his support.
"I do want to especially thank President Trump, and I don't think anybody should doubt his influence. He was with me from the beginning."
Congratulations, @GOPLeader! pic.twitter.com/6QLG88AM3s
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) January 7, 2023
There was little doubt that the former president played a key role as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green was seen handing her phone, which showed a call from “DT” on it, to one of the anti-McCarthy holdouts, Rep. Matt Rosendale.
‘It was the perfect phone call,” Rep. Taylor Greene said.
It was the perfect phone call. pic.twitter.com/aRpf5pefoU
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene🇺🇸 (@RepMTG) January 7, 2023
At one point during the tense evening, a visibly angry and frustrated Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) had to be physically restrained after lunging at Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) on the House floor by other members late Friday as the drama to elect a new speaker continued to play out.
Cameras caught the moment that the GOP lawmaker lost his cool and moved quickly towards Gaetz, who continued refusing to back Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) for the speakership after a historic 14th ballot. It would take another — 15 ballots — for McCarthy to finally win the post after the House reconvened at 10 p.m. Friday night.
Fox News reported:
Gaetz was discussing with Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., the possibility of backing him in the next vote and appeared to mouth the word “committee.”
Gaetz is currently on the House Armed Services Committee, which is chaired by Rogers. McCarthy appeared to agree and returned to his seat. Rogers, having witnessed the interaction, then walked up to Gaetz’s row and made a move toward him.
Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., intervened and physically restrained Rogers, pulling him back by his shoulders in full view of C-SPAN’s cameras.
Toward the end of the incident, Rogers pointed at Gaetz and appeared to yell, “I won’t forget this!”
WATCH:
After McCarthy’s victory, Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) handed the Speaker’s gavel to the California Republican, who will now preside over the 118th Congress.
“It took a loss by a razor-thin margin in a late-night Round 14, a heated exchange with one of his sternest opponents, and a near-adjournment of the House till Monday to break a logjam unseen since before the Civil War,” the Associated Press reported after the 15th round of balloting.
“The final tally that put him over the top: 216 for McCarthy, 212 for Democrat leader Hakeem Jeffries and 6 simply ‘present,’” the outlet reported.
A video clip of a frustrated McCarthy confronting Gaetz after his first “present” went viral online late Friday:
🚨 BREAKING: Matt Gaetz votes present, leaving Kevin McCarthy one vote short of being confirmed as Speaker.
McCarthy is NOT happy 😂pic.twitter.com/dWcDjTQAVo
— Patriot Alerts (@alerts___) January 7, 2023
The newswire noted further:
All day Friday, McCarthy had been inching ever closer to taking up the gavel as he won over multiple diehard conservative critics and resistors. McCarthy, who flipped 15 colleagues to supporters in dramatic votes on Friday afternoon, returned to the chamber at 10 p.m. ET with hopes high that he’d woo enough additional hardliners to put him over the top.
But then came a surprising loss, with him snagging 216 votes, just one shy of the 217 needed to get a House majority after two colleagues, Lauren Boebert and Matt Gaetz, merely voted “present.”
What followed was some extraordinary drama, as McCarthy and Gaetz appeared to exchange sharp words on the House floor. A vote to adjourn till Monday was quickly introduced, but was then walked back as supporters did a U-turn and rescinded votes.
